World Elder Abuse Day tries to shine light on mistreatment

In 2010, 1,676 Oregon seniors and were found to be victims of abuse or neglect – with the majority of abuses happening at the hands of direct caregivers.

While that number accounts for a small percentage of total abuse reports, advocates have declared June 14 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in hopes of raising awareness about the issue.

Jerry Cohen, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), said for seniors living in community settings (either on their own or in adult foster care), financial exploitation is by far the most common form of elder abuse, where seniors living in care facilities are more likely to experience neglect.

Investigators addressing elder abuse now have more tools to conduct their investigations due House Bill 4084, passed by the Legislature earlier this year. The bill allows abuse investigators easier access to seniors' financial records – which raised some concerns about seniors' privacy, though access is limited only to investigating agencies.